Where does “squaw” come from?

squaw (French) comes from English squaw, from Massachusett squàw, from Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa.

squaw (French): squaw not pejorative in French, Native American woman

Definitions

  1. squaw not pejorative in French, Native American woman

Ancestry of “squaw”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsquawA woman, wife; especially a Native American woman
2Massachusettsquàwwoman
3Proto-Algonquian*eθkwe·wa—
Every word from Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa →
squaw — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer